Stay Healthy at Any Age
Posted by Dolores
Diabetes Info asked:
check out the Living Healthy with Diabetes swicki at eurekster.com
Stay Healthy at Any Age
Some health advice stands the test of time – don’t smoke, eat right and exercise apply to people of all ages. But some health care priorities and guidelines change as we grow older. Screening tests, nutritional recommendations and exercise requirements vary based on your age and overall health, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about what is right for you. The following guidelines may help steer the conversation.
In the Beginning
Individuals in their 20s and 30s have their whole lives in front of them, and there is no better time to ensure that it is a healthy one.
Recommended screenings. Your annual physical may move quickly, as the recommended tests are minimal. Your doctor may conduct a complete lipid profile, which indicates your cholesterol level, every five years. Women should have an annual Pap test to detect cervical cancer or precancerous cells beginning three years after their first sexual activity or by age 21.
Exercise guidelines. Try to fit at least five sessions of aerobic exercise, such as jogging, walking or biking, into your weekly routine, as well as one session of strength training. Stretch for at least 10 minutes every other day, especially after your aerobic activity.
Dietary recommendations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends limiting your caloric intake to 2,000 calories per day, but this number varies based on your activity level (see chart). In general, to maintain your weight, the calories you expend should match the calories you consume. It’s also important to make sure your food choices contain the recommended nutrients, such as at least 1,000 mg of calcium per day. Women of childbearing age may need to increase their consumption of iron and folic acid.
In the Middle Years
As you enter your 40s and move into your 50s, many health guidelines stay the same. But there are a few notable differences.
Recommended screenings. Beginning at age 45, you may receive a fasting-glucose test every three years to measure your risk of diabetes. At age 50, your doctor may recommend a colonoscopy every 10 years to help detect colon cancer. Men may start to screen for prostate cancer with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test every one to two years at age 50, although men with a higher risk may want to start at 45. Women should undergo mammograms every one to two years beginning at age 40, and baseline bone-densitometry testing soon after menopause.
Exercise guidelines. Aerobic exercise remains a top priority, although you may want to minimize high-impact activities. Strength training becomes even more important, and experts suggest scheduling two or three sessions per week.
Dietary recommendations. By age 50, many adults can’t absorb naturally occurring vitamin B12 as well as their younger counterparts, so be sure to eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 and consider taking supplements to ensure you receive the recommended 2.4 micrograms per day. Now is also the time to increase calcium consumption to 1,200 mg for men and 1,500 mg for postmenopausal women.
Living Longer and Stronger
As life spans lengthen, the very definition of aging changes. Treatments once considered too traumatic for older adults, such as chemotherapy and coronary bypass surgery, have in many cases been proven safe and effective. Chronic conditions once regarded as noncritical in the older years, such as high cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure levels, are now being actively controlled with medications. Understanding how your body’s needs change can help ensure you receive age-appropriate care.
Recommended screenings. Many of the tests you’ve grown accustomed to may no longer be necessary during your doctor visits. Women who have never had an abnormal Pap test can discontinue the screening after age 65. Many experts advise stopping prostate cancer screening in men after age 75. But bone density testing becomes more important. Women should receive bone densitometry once every two to three years, while a single test in men is generally sufficient. In addition, your doctor may begin checking your feet for peripheral artery disease, and suggest visiting an ophthalmologist every one to two years to test for macular degeneration, glaucoma and other age-related eye problems.
Exercise guidelines. Continue to include three to four sessions of low-impact aerobic activity per week. Limit strength training to two times per week to allow your muscles to recover in between sessions, and consider reducing the resistance and increasing the repetitions. You may also want to add balance exercises to your stretching routine.
Dietary recommendations. Medications and other factors may begin to diminish your sense of taste and smell, which can affect your appetite. Unless you are overweight, you may need to take special care to include sufficient calories – and the proper vitamins and nutrients – in your diet. By age 65, it is advisable that both men and women consume at least 1,500 mg of calcium per day.
ELIJAH
check out the Living Healthy with Diabetes swicki at eurekster.com
Stay Healthy at Any Age
Some health advice stands the test of time – don’t smoke, eat right and exercise apply to people of all ages. But some health care priorities and guidelines change as we grow older. Screening tests, nutritional recommendations and exercise requirements vary based on your age and overall health, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about what is right for you. The following guidelines may help steer the conversation.
In the Beginning
Individuals in their 20s and 30s have their whole lives in front of them, and there is no better time to ensure that it is a healthy one.
Recommended screenings. Your annual physical may move quickly, as the recommended tests are minimal. Your doctor may conduct a complete lipid profile, which indicates your cholesterol level, every five years. Women should have an annual Pap test to detect cervical cancer or precancerous cells beginning three years after their first sexual activity or by age 21.
Exercise guidelines. Try to fit at least five sessions of aerobic exercise, such as jogging, walking or biking, into your weekly routine, as well as one session of strength training. Stretch for at least 10 minutes every other day, especially after your aerobic activity.
Dietary recommendations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends limiting your caloric intake to 2,000 calories per day, but this number varies based on your activity level (see chart). In general, to maintain your weight, the calories you expend should match the calories you consume. It’s also important to make sure your food choices contain the recommended nutrients, such as at least 1,000 mg of calcium per day. Women of childbearing age may need to increase their consumption of iron and folic acid.
In the Middle Years
As you enter your 40s and move into your 50s, many health guidelines stay the same. But there are a few notable differences.
Recommended screenings. Beginning at age 45, you may receive a fasting-glucose test every three years to measure your risk of diabetes. At age 50, your doctor may recommend a colonoscopy every 10 years to help detect colon cancer. Men may start to screen for prostate cancer with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test every one to two years at age 50, although men with a higher risk may want to start at 45. Women should undergo mammograms every one to two years beginning at age 40, and baseline bone-densitometry testing soon after menopause.
Exercise guidelines. Aerobic exercise remains a top priority, although you may want to minimize high-impact activities. Strength training becomes even more important, and experts suggest scheduling two or three sessions per week.
Dietary recommendations. By age 50, many adults can’t absorb naturally occurring vitamin B12 as well as their younger counterparts, so be sure to eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 and consider taking supplements to ensure you receive the recommended 2.4 micrograms per day. Now is also the time to increase calcium consumption to 1,200 mg for men and 1,500 mg for postmenopausal women.
Living Longer and Stronger
As life spans lengthen, the very definition of aging changes. Treatments once considered too traumatic for older adults, such as chemotherapy and coronary bypass surgery, have in many cases been proven safe and effective. Chronic conditions once regarded as noncritical in the older years, such as high cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure levels, are now being actively controlled with medications. Understanding how your body’s needs change can help ensure you receive age-appropriate care.
Recommended screenings. Many of the tests you’ve grown accustomed to may no longer be necessary during your doctor visits. Women who have never had an abnormal Pap test can discontinue the screening after age 65. Many experts advise stopping prostate cancer screening in men after age 75. But bone density testing becomes more important. Women should receive bone densitometry once every two to three years, while a single test in men is generally sufficient. In addition, your doctor may begin checking your feet for peripheral artery disease, and suggest visiting an ophthalmologist every one to two years to test for macular degeneration, glaucoma and other age-related eye problems.
Exercise guidelines. Continue to include three to four sessions of low-impact aerobic activity per week. Limit strength training to two times per week to allow your muscles to recover in between sessions, and consider reducing the resistance and increasing the repetitions. You may also want to add balance exercises to your stretching routine.
Dietary recommendations. Medications and other factors may begin to diminish your sense of taste and smell, which can affect your appetite. Unless you are overweight, you may need to take special care to include sufficient calories – and the proper vitamins and nutrients – in your diet. By age 65, it is advisable that both men and women consume at least 1,500 mg of calcium per day.
ELIJAH
